How to Dispose of Old Baby Gear (Car Seats, Cribs, Strollers)

Safety First: Why Baby Gear Disposal Matters

Baby gear disposal is not just about getting items out of your house. It is about making sure that unsafe products do not end up in the hands of another family. Recalled cribs, expired car seats, and broken strollers can cause serious injury or death to children.

The key principle: if baby gear is expired, recalled, damaged, or does not meet current safety standards, destroy it before disposal. Do not donate, sell, or give away unsafe baby gear. It is better to put a cut-up car seat in the trash than to pass an expired one to another family.

Car Seat Disposal and Recycling

Car seats are the most complex baby item to dispose of because they have expiration dates, recall histories, and strict safety standards.

When to Dispose of a Car Seat

• Expiration date: Car seats expire 6 to 10 years after manufacture. The date is printed on a label on the seat. After this date, the plastics may degrade and the seat may not perform correctly in a crash.
• After any crash: Car seats should be replaced after any moderate to severe crash. Some manufacturers recommend replacement after any crash.
• Recalled seats: Check the NHTSA recall database at nhtsa.gov. If your seat has been recalled and the fix has not been applied, do not pass it on.
• Missing parts: Car seats without all components (harness, buckles, base) should not be given to another family.

Recycling Programs

• Target car seat trade-in events: Target runs periodic car seat trade-in programs (typically in April and September). Bring any car seat — expired, damaged, or simply outgrown — and receive a 20 percent coupon for a new car seat, stroller, or select baby gear. The seats are recycled.
• Walmart car seat recycling: Some Walmart locations have participated in car seat recycling events. Check with your local store.
• Oregon-specific programs: Check with your local fire department or health department. Some run car seat exchange programs where they recycle old seats and provide new ones to families in need.

How to Dispose of an Expired or Unsafe Car Seat

1. Remove the fabric cover and padding. Some of this can go in regular trash.
2. Cut the harness straps so the seat cannot be used.
3. Write "EXPIRED" or "DO NOT USE" on the shell with permanent marker.
4. Put the shell in the trash (the plastic and metal frame are not easily recyclable through curbside programs) or check if a local recycler accepts the materials.

The goal is to make the seat clearly unusable. If you put an intact car seat at the curb or in a dumpster, someone may take it and use it for a child.

Crib Disposal

Crib safety standards changed significantly in 2011 when the CPSC banned drop-side cribs after multiple infant deaths. If your crib has a drop side, it should be destroyed rather than donated or sold.

Safe to Donate or Sell

• Fixed-side cribs manufactured after June 2011 that meet current CPSC standards.
• All hardware present and working, no broken or missing slats, no cracks in the frame.
• Slat spacing must be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart (about the width of a soda can).

Must Be Destroyed

• Drop-side cribs of any age or brand.
• Cribs with broken slats, cracked wood, or missing hardware.
• Recalled cribs (check cpsc.gov).

How to Dispose of an Unsafe Crib

1. Disassemble the crib completely.
2. Cut or break the slats so they cannot be reassembled.
3. Dispose of the pieces through regular trash, a transfer station, or junk removal.

Stroller Disposal

Strollers in good working condition are easier to donate and sell than car seats because they do not have expiration dates or the same level of safety regulation.

Selling

• Facebook Marketplace — Strollers sell well, especially premium brands (UPPAbaby, Bugaboo, BOB, City Mini).
• OfferUp and Craigslist — Good for local stroller sales.
• Kids consignment sales — Portland and Eugene have seasonal kids' consignment events where strollers sell quickly.

Donating

• Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul — Accept strollers in good condition.
• Women's shelters — Organizations serving women and children often need strollers. Contact your local shelter directly.
• Pregnancy resource centers — These community organizations provide baby gear to families in need.

Disposing

Broken strollers can go in regular trash if your hauler allows bulky items, or to a transfer station. Remove any fabric (machine washable pieces can be donated to textile recycling). The metal frame has some scrap value.

Other Baby Gear

High Chairs

Working high chairs in good condition can be donated to Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, or family resource centers. Clean thoroughly before donating. Check for recalls at cpsc.gov.

Bouncers, Swings, and Walkers

These items are often accepted at consignment sales and by donation centers when they are clean and working. Baby walkers with wheels have been banned in some countries — check current safety recommendations before passing them on.

Pack-and-Play / Playard

These fold flat and are easy to donate or sell when in good condition. Check for recalls, especially older models with bassinet attachments (several have been recalled for suffocation hazards).

Breast Pumps

Electric breast pumps should generally not be donated because of hygiene concerns (unless they are closed-system hospital-grade models). Manual pumps and pump accessories can sometimes be donated. Check with your local WIC office or breastfeeding support group.

Donating Baby Gear in Oregon

Oregon Organizations That Accept Baby Gear

• Goodwill — Most Oregon locations accept clean, safe baby gear.
• St. Vincent de Paul — Willamette Valley locations accept baby furniture and equipment.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore — Accepts baby furniture (cribs, changing tables, dressers) in good condition.
• Family resource centers — Many Oregon communities have family resource centers that distribute baby gear to families in need. Check with your county's health department.
• MedShare (Portland) — Focuses on medical equipment but occasionally accepts related baby gear.
• Buy Nothing groups — Very active for baby gear in Portland, Eugene, Salem, and Bend neighborhoods.

For a broader list of donation centers, see our guide on where to donate in Oregon.

Selling Used Baby Gear

• Facebook Marketplace — The most active platform for used baby gear. Baby items sell fast, especially at below-retail prices.
• OfferUp — Growing platform for baby gear sales.
• Kids consignment sales — Events like Just Between Friends (JBF) and other seasonal consignment sales in Portland, Eugene, and Salem are excellent for selling large volumes of baby gear at once.
• Kids consignment shops — Once Upon a Child and similar stores buy used baby gear for cash on the spot.

What Sells Best

• Premium brand strollers (UPPAbaby, Bugaboo, BOB) — 40 to 60 percent of retail
• Infant car seats (under 3 years old, not expired) — 30 to 50 percent of retail
• Pack-and-plays in excellent condition — $30 to $80
• High chairs (Stokke, 4moms) — 30 to 50 percent of retail

Professional Removal

If you have a garage or nursery full of outgrown baby gear and just want it all gone, professional junk removal handles the whole job.

• Cost: $75 to $200 depending on volume. A full nursery cleanout is typically on the lower end because baby items are lightweight.
• Timeline: Same-day or next-day service across Oregon metro areas.
• What they take: Everything — cribs, strollers, car seats, toys, baby furniture. They sort for donation, recycling, and disposal.

This makes sense when you have a large volume of items, a mix of donatable and non-donatable pieces, and limited time to sort and transport everything yourself.

Cost Comparison